An unofficial Croydon, Sutton and Surrey Green Party blog by Shasha Khan. Having lived in Croydon most of my life, I now live just outside the south west of the borough in Woodmansterne.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Response to letter from Kristin Viedge

Occasionally a letter appears in the Croydon Advertiser which is pro-incineration. In the past the correspondent has been a waste industry stooge. This one appeared not to be.....

My response appeared a couple of weeks later......

Dear Your Views,

I am afraid your correspondent Kristin Viedge is somewhat
misguided in asserting that modern incinerators are “designed in such a way as
to pose no threat to the health of nearby residents.” A new peer reviewed
Spanish study covering data from 1997-2006 has found a significant increase in
dying from cancer in towns 5km from incinerators. Incinerators in this study were
found to be responsible for tumors of the lung, pleura and gallbladder (men)
and stomach (women).

Nevertheless, she
is correct in stating that Denmark
has been leading the way with industrial incinerators for many years. However,
just this summer, Denmark’s
environment minister announced a new strategy to change the nation’s priority
from incineration to recycling, citing carbon dioxide emissions as the reason.

Furthermore, local
authorities in Denmark
have been trapped in long-term contracts, much like what our council has just
signed, forcing them to burn recyclable and compostable materials to meet their
contractual obligations.

I hope Ms Viedge
can see why so many oppose the giant waste incinerator on the borders of Sutton
and Croydon. I hope that she may even go as far as to sign our petition at www.stoptheincinerator.co.uk